CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
102ND RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE RECAP
MONDAY, MAY 21, 2018
INDIANAPOLIS (May 21, 2018) – Dialing in car set-up for 200 grueling laps on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval was the primary objective for 16 Chevy Racing drivers during practice for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil.
The 33 qualified drivers combined to log 2,526 laps. Team Penske’s Will Power was the workhorse of the Team Chevy drivers with 120 laps during the scheduled 3-hour, 30-minute program that was delayed briefly at the start by rain. Helio Castroneves recorded 118 laps and pole winner Ed Carpenter also saw considerable track time with 100 laps.
Sage Karam, driving the No. 24 WIX Filters Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, topped the speed chart with a lap of 226.461 mph/39.7419 seconds. Rookie Kyle Kaiser, driving the No. 32 NFP/Juncos Racing Chevrolet, posted the best no tow lap at 221.107 mph, and Carpenter was second at 220.600 mph.
Following Fast Nine Shootout qualifying, new 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged, direct injected V6 Chevrolet engines were installed in all 16 Team Chevy entries for Carb Day practice May 25. The one-hour session will be the final on-track practice before the May 27 race.
Chevrolet swept the front row in qualifications May 20, led by Carpenter in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet with a four-lap average speed of 229.618 mph, and placed seven cars on the first three rows. Carpenter is the 10th driver with three pole starts in the Indy 500, and he’ll seek to score his first victory in the race and 10th for Chevrolet.
Since its return to the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2012, Chevrolet has registered poles in “the Greatest Spectacle in Racing” by Ryan Briscoe in ’12; Carpenter in ’13, ’14, ’18; and Scott Dixon in ’15. The Bowtie brand has 77 poles overall in 107 races in the seven seasons.
Chevrolet will be pursing it’s 10th Indianapolis 500 win. Two Chevrolet team owners, Roger Penske and AJ Foyt, have been to the historic Victory Circle at the iconic Brickyard. Each of those teams will be fielding previous Indy 500 race winners – Helio Castronevese (Penske – three wins in 2001, 02 and 09) and Tony Kanaan (Foyt – 2013 winner for KV Racing).